Batt forming machine



I June 2,, 194 2. B. A. OLSEN BA'IT FORMING MACHINE Filed July 29, 1940'ISheets-Sheet 1 June 2, 1942. a. A. OLSEN BATT FORiflING MACHINE FilegJuly 29, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 'June 2, 1942. I

B. A. OLSEN BA'II'T FORMING MAcnIpE 7 s netssheet 3 Filed July 29, 1940INVENTO& r A 9'3"?! June 2, 1942. 'BQA. OLSEN BATT FORMING MACHIFE FiledJuly 29, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 I'NVENTbR BY 3 ORN EY Jun'e 2,1942H B. A;map ,284,16

7 BATT FORMING MACHINE Filed July 29, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 June 2,1942.

B. A. OLSEN BAT'I' FORMING MACHINE Filed July 29, 1940 M 2 WATT 7 SheetsSheet 6 INVENTOR v v June 2, 1942.. BA. OLSEN 2,284,762

BATT FORMING MACHINE k Filed July 29, 1940 7 shee ts sheet' '7 vINVENTOR Z mfiw Patented June 2 1942 BATT FORMING MACHINE Burton A.Olsen, Oakland, Calif., assignor to California Cotton Mills Company,Oakland, Caliii, a corporation of California Application July 29, 1940,Serial No. 34$,236

8 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanisms for forming cotton fibers or thelike into batting.

It is an object of the invention to provide a machine which, in acontinuous series of operations, separates an original felted sheetoffibrous material into a plurality of individual strips,

conducts the several strips through a series of forming and pressingdevices, 'which fold the strips into batts of prescribed cross sectionform, secures the batts against unraveling, applies a surface bindercoating to retain the surflace fibers in place, and dries the battsbefore their deliverance to a cut-off or reeling machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the classdescribed which is capable of operation at high speed.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a machine of theclass described, novel means compensating-for the stretch of, thematerial as it is passed through the machine so that no jamming orpiling up of the material occurs.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage which,together with the foregoing, will be specifically brought out in thedetailed description'of the preferred form of the invention hereuntoannexed. It is to be understood that theinvention is not to be limitedto the specific form thereof herein shown and described as various otherembodiments thereof may be employed within the scope of the ap- O pendedclaims.

Referring to the drawings: Figures la and 11), together, are a top planview of the machine of my invention. Figures 2a and 2b, together, are aside elevational view of the machine. l

Figures 3a and 3b, together, form a horizontal sectional view of themachine. I The plane in which the complete view is taken is indicated bythe line 3 3 of Figures 2a andZb.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the machine taken in the planeindicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 2a.

Figures 5 to 11 are progressive views, diagrammatic in character,illustrating the formation of the cylindrical batt shown in Figure 11from the flat strip shown in Figure 5. I

In detail, the machine comprises a base frame 6 having spaced bearings Ialong and rising from the upper opposite longitudinal sides thereof.

Each of the bearings l is provided with a lower table top substantiallytangent with the upper surface of each of the feed rollers 9. Spacedfrom an end of the base frame 9, and suitably supported from the flooror from the base frame 9 by support brackets i8 is a 'slitter comprisingframe members l9 having vertically spaced bearings 21in which isjournaled a pair of vertically spaced shafts .22 each carrying aplurality, preferably three, of rotary slitting knives 23 operative inpairs to slit a sheet 29 of felted fibrous material, such as cotton,which is fed along the table "between the knives 23, into four strips 25of substantially equal width. The four strips 25 are led, in divergentrelation,- over the surface of the table I! and between thesuccessivepairs of feed and presser rolls 9 and i3' Meansiis providedfor drivingthe feed rolls 9 so as to advance the strips 26 along the surface of thetable ll. Mounted on the floor below and within the base fra'met is adrive motor 21 and a speed reduction gear 28, the input shaft 29 of thelatter being fitted with a, pulley 3!, which is driven by a belt 32engaging a pulley 33 mounted on the motor shaft, and the output shaft 3%being fitted with a sprocket 35 which drives, through a chain 3'8, asprockettil mounted to rotate with a countershaft 39 journaled inbrackets at on the base frame. Each stub shaft 8 of the feed rollers9 isfitted with a sprocket 42 meshing with the teeth of which is an endlesschain 43 which also engages idler sprockets 44,

journaled on shafts it carried by the base frame '9 and positionedbetween and below the centers of the shafts 8, and a drive sprocket 4'!carried by the countershaft 39. When the motor 2'! is running, it willbe seen that the feed rolls 9 will be rotated in a counter-clockwisedirection as viewed in Figures 2a and 2b. This causes the strips 2%,which pass between the successive pairs of feed and presser rolls 9 andE3, to be moved over the surface of the table ll. Due to the nature ofthe felted material, there will be material stretching thereof as itisdrawn over the table. In order to compensate for this stretching, andto prevent any relaxation in the tension in the strips betweensuccessive pairs of feed and press-v er rolls, it will be seen, uponclose inspection of Figures 2a and 2b, that I have provided each feedroll 9, starting from the one at the extreme right of the machine, withsprockets 42 which progressively.decrease in. pitch diameter. Thiscauses each feed roll to rotate at a slightly faster peripheral speedthan the preceding roll thus continually taking up the slack in thestrips which the stretching produces.

Means is provided for continuously folding the strips 26 during movementthereof across the surface of the table l'i so as to produce batts of'predetermined cross-sectional form. As is best shown in Figures 3a and3b, groupsof formers 48 are secured by screws '49 to the table top I!the table I1.

between each set of feed and presser rolls except the extreme left handpair which has a group of modified formers 5| associated therewith. Theformers 48, as is shown in Figures 5 to 11 are formed of angle ironhaving a horizontally extending bead .or ridge strip 52 suitably securedto the vertical flange of the angle by welding brazing or in any othermanner. The formers 5| each comprise a frusto conical tube suitablysecured to the table top. After the strips 26 pass through the first setof feed and presser rolls, between which, and due to the full weight ofthe presser roll I3 being imposed on the strips, the strips are forciblyvertically compressed, they are drawn past the first set of formers 48the bead 52 of which causes the marginal portion of the strip engagingthe former to be folded over on top of the main body of the strip asshown at position A in Figure 6. After being thus folded, and uponleaving the first former, the strip passes immediately between thesecond set of feed and presser rolls which vertically compress the stripand cause the fibers of the overlying marginal portion to becomeentangled with those of the underlying portion of the strip so that thefold will thereafter remain in place. The strip now is drawn past secondand third sets of formers and between second and third sets of feed andpresser rolls which transversely roll and press the strip as shown inthe positions B and C of Figures 7 and 8. After emerging from the set offeed and presser rolls immediately following the last of the series offormers 48, the now nearly completely roller strip is led below a dripnozzle 53 as shown at D in Figure 9 from which is discharged a liquidadhesive such as an aqueous solution of sodium silicate. The nozzles 53are carried by a header 54 which receives the fluid from a verticalsupply pipe 56 controlled by a Valve 51. Immediately after the fluidadhesive is applied, the coiled strip passes into the former 5| as shownat E in Figure which folds the previously free edge portion of the stripto a position overlying the area to which the adhesive was applied. The

strip is, after emerging from the former 5|, now

rolled into a batt having a substantially cylindrical cross-sectionalform as shown at F in Figure l1 and passes between the last in theseries of feed and presser rolls which are positioned on The formed battis now led over a guide roll58, whose shaft 59 is journaled in bearings68 carried by brackets 6 I, which are mounted on the end of the baseframe 6, thence reversely toward the set of feed and presser rolls ithad previously left, around the presser roll and again between the feedand presser rolls where it is further pressed. During its travel betweenthe guide roll 58 and the set of feed and presser rolls each battencounters a twister mechanism comprising an axially vertical bar 62supported in a bracket 53 carried by the base frame 6. The batt, beforebeing threaded over the presser roll of the final group on the table, isgiven a half twist and the bar 62, which is positioned to bear against aside of the bat at the twist will thereafter automatically impart thedesired twisting movement to the batt before the latter engages thepresser roll. The purpose of twisting the batt is to face the joint line64, which is located on the upper surface of the batt when it firstpasses between the set of feed and presser rolls and the guide roll 58,downwardly during its second pass therebetween. During the said secondpass of th batt it enters an enclosed spray chamber 65, through ports 66formed in the side walls thereof, wherein it is subject to a spray 61projecting upwardly from nozzles 68 which are fed from a common supplypipe 89. The spray material may be an aqueous solution of sodiumsilicate or any other substance which will produce a desired surfacecoating on the batt. The density of the spray B1 is regulated inproportion to the speed of passage of the batt through the spray chamberso that there is a material penetration of the liquid into the batt soas to form, in effect, a casing about the unsaturated core of the batt.After being coated, the batt passes again under the guide roll 58 and isdirected upwardly to be dried.

The drier comprises a tunnel-like chamber 18, having open ends, which iscarried on longitudinally extending bars H supported by posts 12 risingfrom the base frame 6. Within the chamber 10 are positioned verticallspaced, longitudinally extending bearing support bars 13 upon which aremounted bearings 14 providing journals for shafts 15 extendinghorizontally transversely of the chamber. The shafts 15 are arranged invertically spaced pairs positioned, respectively, at both ends of thechamber and substantially midway of its ends. Horizontally spacedsprockets '16, carried by the shafts 15, are in mesh with parallelchains 11 which have, as is shown in Figure 4, slats 18 extendingtherebetween so as to form upper and lower conveyors movablelongitudinally through the chamber. The batts after rising from theguide roll 58 pass between a pair of guide rolls 19 whose shafts arejournaled for rotation in brackets 8| carried by the extreme ends of thebars 68 and which are connected for synchronous rotation together by acrossed belt 82 tractionally engaging pulleys 83 mounted on the shafts19. The batts are then directed into an open end of the chamber 6'! andon to the lower slat conveyor 11. Upon emerging from the conveyor at theopposite end of the drier chamber, the batts pass through a second spraychamber 84 in which they are subjected to a spray 86, of materialsimilar to that first described, which is projected from nozzles 8! fedfrom a supply pipe 88. The spray chamber is mounted, by clips 89, on thebars 68. then pass over a vertically spaced pair of guide rolls 9'!whose shafts 92 are journaled in bearings 93 mounted, respectively, on apair of the posts 69 and on the extreme ends of the upper pair ofbearing bars ll. After passing over the guide rolls 9|, the batts aredirected on to the upper slat conveyor and are carried thereby againthrough the drier chamber. After this second passage of the batts theyare led to mechanism, not shown, where they are either cut off in thedesired lengths for subsequent use or are placed upon storage reels.

Means is provided for driving the slat conveyors in opposite directionsso as to move the batts through the chamber. Secured to the shafts 8 andi2, of the set of feed and presser rolls at the left hand end of thetable I 7, is a pair of gears 94, which transmit rotation from thedriven shaft 8 to the shaft l2, and the shaft I2 is also provided with asprocket 96 meshing with a chain 91 which drives a sprocket 98 carriedby an extension of the shaft 13 at one end of the lower slat conveyor.The shaft extension is journaled in a suitable outboard bearing 99carried by an extension member ii]! of the bar $8. The lower conveyor isthus geared to the feed roller drive mechanism so that the lowerconveyor is moved from left to right as Viewed in Figures 2a and 217. Achain I82 meshes with a The batts,

sprocket I03, carried by the shaft 8 of the feed roll at the extremeright end of the machine, and with a, sprocket HM carried by anextension :of the shaft 73 at the right; hand end of the upper conveyor,which extension shaft is journaled in an outboard hearing it supported,like the bearing 99, by a frame extension llll carried by one of thebars 68. The upper conveyor is thus also connected to the main drivemechanism for movement in a direction counter to the movement of thelower conveyor.

Means is provided for forcing a continuous flow of heated air throughthe chamber 19 so as to dry the coated batts as the latter are carriedthrough the chamber by the conveyors. Moun ed on a platform 58, which issupported by posts Hi9 risingfrom the bars 68 at one end of the chamberI0, is an axially horizontal motor Hi having an impeller or air screw H2enclosed in a hood H3 which forms one end of a duct IM connected tocommunicate with the chamber form. thereof, substantially cylindricalbatts, spaced means tractionally engaging and for moving said stripsalong said paths, means for driving said strip moving means,respectively at different speeds, a drier, means for applying surfacecoatings to said strips after folding thereof, and means for moving saidstrips in repeated passes through said drier.

3.. A batt forming machine comprising a base frame, a table supported bysaid base frame, a

peatedly transversely folding said strips during through a suitableopening formed in the top port connected through a T connector i22 withpipes I23 leading, respectively, from the-spray chambers t5 andilt sothat anyeXcess of spray material may be drawn from the spray chambersand discharged into a duct I24 leading to the atmosphere or to asuitable collection de-v vice.

It will be seen, from the foregoing description of my invention, that Ihave provided a simple and efficient mechanism for forming batts, fromusually difficult to handle felted material, which is characterized byits ability to operate at exceptionally high speeds without the dangerof clogging or bunching of the material, which does not require theconstant attention of a crew of operators to insure its continuousoperation and which will operate without the creation of objectionablequantities of fiber dust.

Having thus described my invention in detail, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by LettersPatent is:

1. A batt forming machine comprising means for slitting a sheet ofmaterial into a plurality of strips, means for conducting said stripsalong spaced and substantially parallel paths through said machine,means spaced along said paths for movement thereof to form substantiallycylindrical batts, a first chamber through which said strips, afterbeing folded, are conducted, means in said chamber for spraying asurface coating on said strips, a drier, conveyors in said drierengaging and for conducting said strips there through successively inopposite directions, a second chamber through which said strips areconducted after an initial passage through said said drier, means insaid second chamber for applying an additional surface coating to saidstrips, means for directing a current ofheated air through said drier,and means for driving said strip moving meansand aid conveyors.

4. A batt forming machine comprising a base frame, a table supported bysaid base frame, a slitter on said table for separating into a pluralityof strips a sheet of material passed along said table, a plurality offeed rolls iournaled in spaced relation on said table and positionedtransversely. of said strips, pressure rolls associated With and,positioned above said feed rolls and engaging said strips to compressthe latter against the peripheries of the respective feed rolls, meansfor rotating said feed. rolls to move said strips along the table,formers positioned between pairs of said feed rolls engaging an edge ofeach strip for repeatedly folding said strips transversely duringmovement thereof to form of each strip a substantially cylindrical batt,means for applying a first surface coating to said batts, a drier, meansfor conducting said coated batts through said drier in one direction todry said coating, means for applying a second surface coating to saidbatts, and means for conducting said coated. batts through said drier inan opposite direction to .dry said second coating.

v rality of strips a sheet of material passed along repeatedlytransversely folding said strips to form thereof, substantiallycylindrical batts, spaced means tractionally engaging and for movingsaid strips along said paths, means for driving said strip moving means,respectively at different speeds, a drier, means for applying surfacecoatings to said strips after folding thereof, and means for moving saidstrips through sai drier. l

2. A batt forming machine comprising means for slitting a sheet ofmaterial into a plurality of strips, means for conducting said stripsalong spaced and substantially parallel paths through said machine,means spaced along said Paths for repeatedly transversely folding saidstrips to said table, pairs of bearings, having vertically extendingnotches therein, spaced longitudinally of said base frame along theopposite sides thereof, feed rolls journaled in pairs of said bearingsand positioned, axially, transversely of said strips, presser rollspositioned above and in axial parallel relation with said feed rolls,said presser 'rolls having shafts engaged in the said bearing notches sothatsaid presser rolls are freeto move bodily in a vertical direction,said presser rolls engaging and pressing. said strips into trac tionalengagement with the peripheries of said feed rolls, means for rotatingsaid feed rolls so as, to move said strips along said table, formersmountedon said table, between pairs of said so as to form thereof asubstantially cylindrical helically Wound batt, a first coating chamberthrough which said formed batts are drawn, said chamber having thereinspray nozzles for depositing a surface coating of sprayable material onsaid batts, a drier chamber carried by and supported above said baseframe, oppositely movable conveyors in said drier chamber for receivingsaid batts and for conducting the latter in alternate directions throughthe drier chamber, a second coating chamber adjacent on end of saiddrier chamber through which said batts are passed after one traversal ofthe drier chamber, means in said second coating chamber for depositingan additional coating on said batts, means connecting said drier chamberconveyors and said feed rolls to be driven together, and means fordirecting a current of heated air through said drier chamber.

6. A batt forming machine comprising a base frame, a table supported bysaid base frame, a slitter on said table for separating into a pluralityof strips a sheet of material passed along said table, pairs ofbearings, having vertically extending notches therein, spacedlongitudinally of said base frame along the opposite sides thereof, feedrolls journaled in pairs of said bearings and positioned, axially,transversely of said strips, presser rolls positioned above and in axialparallel relation with said feed rolls, said presser rolls having shaftsengaged in the said bearing notches so that said presser rolls are freeto move bodily in a vertical direction, said presser rolls engaging andpressing said strips into tractional engagement with the peripheries ofsaid feed rolls, sprockets carried by said feed rolls, each succeedingsprocket, in the direction of movement of said strips, having a reducedpitch diameter as regards the preceding sprocket, drive mechanismincluding a rotatable counter shaft mounted in said base frame, a drivesprocket on and rotatable with said countershaft, an endless chainmeshing with said countershaft sprocket and with the respectivesprockets of said feed rolls, a spray chamber through which said battsmay be drawn, means engaging and for imparting to said batts a twist ofsubstantially 180 degrees before said batts enter said chamber, means insaid chamber for depositing a surface coating on said batts, a drier,means for conveying said batts through said drier, and means fordirecting a current of heated air through said drier.

7. A batt forming machine comprising a base frame, a table supported bysaid base frame, a

slitter on said table for separating into a plurality of strip-s a sheetof material passed along said table, pairs of bearings, havingvertically extending notches therein, spaced longitudinally of said baseframe along the opposite sides thereof, feed rolls journaled in pairs ofsaid bearings and positioned, axially, transversely of said strips,presser rolls positioned above and in axial parallel relation with saidfeed rolls, said presser rolls having shafts engaged in the said bearingnotches so that said presser rolls are free to move bodily in a verticaldirection, said presser rolls engaging and pressing said strips intotractional engagement with the peripheries of said feed rolls, sprocketscarried by said feed rolls, each succeeding sprocket, in the directionof movement of said strips, having a reduced. pitch diameter as regardsthe preceding sprocket, drive mechanism including a rotatablecountershaft mounted in said base frame, a drive sprocket on androtatable with said countershaft, an endless chain meshing with saidcountershaft sprocket and with the respective sprockets of said feedrolls, a spray chamber through which said batts may be drawn, meansengaging and for imparting to said batts a twist of substantiallydegrees before said batts enter said chamber, means in said chamber fordepositing a surface coating on said batts, a drier chamber having openends and an opening in the top thereof mountedabove and carried by saidbase frame, transverse conveyor shafts journaled in said drier chamber,sprockets carried by said shafts and meshing with endless parallelchains extending through said drier chamber, slats extending between andsecured to said parallel chains to form conveyors for receiving thebatts issuing from said spray chamber, means for driving said conveyorshafts to move said batts through said drier chamber, a blower hoodmounted on said drier chamber, a pervious radiator, through whichaheating medium may be circulated, mounted within said blower hood, amotor supported by said base frame and having its drive shaft extendinginto said blower hood, an air screw mounted on said motor shaft andpositioned, upon rotation of said motor shaft, to force ambient airthrough said radiator, and a duct, connecting said blower hood and thetop opening of said drier chamber, through which said forced air may beconducted into said drier chamber.

8. A batt forming machine comprising a base frame, a table supported bysaid base frame, a

slitter on said table for separating into a plu-' rality of strips asheet of material passed along said table, pairs of bearings, havingvertically extending notches therein, spaced longitudinally of said baseframe along the opposite sides thereof, feed rolls journaled in pairs ofsaid bearings and positioned, axially, transversely of said strips,presser rolls positioned above and in axial parallel relation with saidfeed rolls, said presser rolls having shafts engaged in the said bearingnotches so that said presser rolls are free to move bodily in a verticaldirection, said presser rolls engaging and pressing said strips intotractional engagement with the peripheries of said feed rolls, sprocketscarried by said feed rolls, each succeeding sprocket, in the directionof movement of said strips, having a reduced pitch diameter as regardsthe preceding sprocket, drive mechanism including a rotatablecountershaft mounted in said base frame, a drive sprocket on androtatable with said countershaft, an endless chain meshing with saidcountershaft sprocket and with the respective sprockets of said feedrolls, a first spray chamber through which said batts may be drawn,means in said first spray chamber for depositing a surface coating onsaid batts, a drier, means for conveying said batts in one directionthrough said drier chamber, means for directing a current of heated airthrough said drier chamber, a second spray chamber through which saidbatts are passed after initial passage thereof through said drierchamber, means in said second spray chamber for depositing an additionalcoating on said batts, means for conducting said batts in an oppositedirection through said drier chamber, and common means for exhaustingsaid first and second spray chambers.

BURTON A. OLSEN.

